ProverbWisdomGerman origin

Wer zwei Hasen zugleich jagt, fängt keinen

Meaning: Chase two goals at once and you will reach neither.

Literally: He who hunts two hares at once catches none

Example: “Entscheide dich für ein Studium. Wer zwei Hasen zugleich jagt, fängt keinen.” — Pick one degree: if you run after two hares, you'll catch neither.

Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese

  • English: He who is everywhere is nowhere
  • French: Qui trop embrasse mal étreint (literally: Whoever embraces too much holds badly)
  • Spanish: Quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta (literally: He who grasps much, holds little)
  • Italian: Chi troppo vuole nulla stringe (literally: Whoever wants too much grasps nothing)
  • Portuguese: Quem tudo quer tudo perde (literally: Whoever wants everything loses everything)

Origin: The hunter's lesson was also a Latin motto, qui binos insectatur lepores, neutrum capit (whoever hunts two hares catches neither), illustrated in 17th-century emblem books. Russian chases the same two hares.

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